Which is better for keeping a US number while living in Thailand: Mint Mobile or Tello?

I used tello no problems

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Wrong T-Mobile is good out of the country Free texting and emails phone calls 25 cents a minute or $5 day international plan unlimited calls

Tello and WiFi calling on. Roaming off. OTP works.

I have Verizon and it works great here. Unlimited texts and more calling than I really need

I’ve used T-Mobile for 5 years outside the US. No issues (I do have kids in the US on the same plan also)

Switch to Verizon and be on the International Plan. I stayed in Thailand for 3 months. I could text and call USA for no extra fees. Never needed to use a Thai Sim card

I live in Thailand for the winter 6 months for the past 4 years. T-Mobile is my US carrier. No issues except when I forget to switch back to my Thai e-SIM card.

try to get off the two-factor identification. I guess your US Bank can offer your another method, which only needs you to be online on whatever connection. I don't know how US American banks handle this, but I can use the onlinebanking App of my two German Bank accounts on my Smartphone without the need of a SIM card. It only requires an internet connection of my Thai (!!) SIM card. Identification by a six-digit code , and another idendification through their App by fingerprint

Mint is owned by t-mobile and uses t-mobile network

I ported my T Mobile number over to Google Voice (VOIP). Works great. Then I got a Thai phone number for in-country calling.

I switched from tmobile to Tello $5/mo (100min calling, unlimited texts *on wifi). Kept my number (set up port in tmob account then use pin to complete port (number transfer).

Mint international $ 5. Mint 5gb $20, and AIS $10 dual esims. $35 seamless communication between US and Thailand.

I've got TracFone have no problems with it and can use it for internet calling back to the US

You must use an area code from your home or they won’t reply with 2 factorskype used to work but the folded last May 2025

Nothing works reliably excep your home number(?it’s a good thing. Keep your

I've used T Mobile here for many years. But I still have a house in the US as well as the one I've had here for 20 years. Magenta Senior plan. My wife and I are now $80. Free texts, which is all I need. I also have Magic Jack for my old landline number, $59 a year and I use the app to make free calls to the US. The actual unit is plugged in at my US house with a uninterruptible power supply that also keeps my fiber optic internet there online. My T Mobile is on auto pay with them for the $10 discount. I use AIS here so I can do my Thai banking in the US as well.

I use Mint’s $15 plan. Turned WiFi calling on and put the phone into airplane mode.

I have Tello and pay 7 or 8 a month for a minimal service level here in Thailand. Its T-mobile network so when I did visit home I just temporarily upped the service level.

I did a data transfer test when I first received it and had t-mobile still. The data transfer speed was identical on both services. The only thing I regret is not switching over a long time ago. I would have easily saved $25 a month or more and gotten the exact same level of service.

I also have google voice but really haven't used it much at all. Its kind of a backup at this point.

I just ported my US number from ATT to Tello about a month ago. Mainly it’s used for two factor authentication on various sites, including government. It also comes with a voicemail box which has been useful. No problem so far.

I pay for Mint unlimited data annually at $360 and just turn that SIM card on in Thailand to get OTPs. Never had a problem yet, but I fly back to the US every 2 months for work

Edit: I've been doing this 4+ years now

Port your phone to Google voice (before you leave the US). You don't have to pay a penny after the $20 to port your number. You'll still receive all the verification texts, calls, etc. for free. If you need to make an outbound call, you can add a few dollars to Google voice. I did this like a decade ago and have been all over the world without issue. If you need directions, message me.

Google Voice is what I use via laptop or desktop.

I have t-mobile and been in Thailand 2 years, I also has AIS for Thai number. You should have a dual sim phone.

I have t-mobile and I have been in Thailand since September and I still use my service with my Thai phone account

If you use a Thai carrier like DTAC for data and only really rely on T-Mobile for otp and text you’ll be fine

I still use T-Mobile and been here overn3 years and haven't had a problem.

I've never used Mint, so I can't speak to that, but my impression is that Tello is more flexible. I'm currently on the Tello $10/month unlimited promo for 6 months. After that, the plan is $25, but you can scale down to as little as $5 a month just to keep the number if you're not in the US and can't use it for all the unlimited features anyway. I use Tello esim and so far, I've been able to receive texts both while on WiFi and when connected to internet on local True SIM (physical) without extra charge (even though I loaded $20 on pay as you go just in case). I haven't made any calls, but it seems to only be an option if I'm on WiFi. When not on WiFi, it says "no signal". 🤷‍♂️

Tello is about $5.50 with taxes unlimited texting

I’ve been living in Thailand for two years and still use T-Mobile. I receive all of my one-time passwords (OTPs) by text without any issues. With T-Mobile, international texts are free, and I regularly text my son in California with no problems.

My bill is sent to my U.S. mail forwarding address, which is also the address I use for all of my banking. I’m on the T-Mobile Essentials 55+ plan, which is $65 per month, with a $10 discount for autopay.

Personally, I wouldn’t switch to an online phone number. It’s much safer to have your banking tied to a real U.S. mobile number, especially since you may need OTP verification for certain transactions — including ATM withdrawals, depending on your bank.

I use Tello for OTPs it’s $5/month. I use Google Voice for calls

I use Tello and kept my old number with no problems. I pay $10 a month.